Cigarette holder



Jan. 8, 1952 R. L. BLACKWELL 2,582,097

CIGARETTE HOLDER Filed May 17, 1946 IN V EN TOR. 9 him: arc! L. Black we.

MTTORNEY Patentecl Jan. 8, 1952 UNlTED STA-res PATENT-OFFICE I amiiil fitmr .Bicham L.Blackwell,Detroit lynch", 'hppli cation'M'ay 17, 1946, Serial n 3 Claims. (01. 131 2 57 This invention relates to cigarette holders and particularly holders having jaws for gripping a cigarette.

An object of the invention is to adapt a pair of jaws to be closed upon or released from a cigarette by a light pressure applied to one or the other jaw.

Another object is to adapt a pair of jaws to be opened or closed to release or grip a cigarette by pressing the cigarette lightly against the gripping face of one jaw or the other.

Another object is to adapt a single spring to hold a pair of cigarette gripping jaws in either a spread position for reception of a cigarette or in a gripping position.

Another object is to provide an improved manner for limiting relative retraction of a pair of cigarette gripping jaws.

These and various other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my improved holder with its jaws separated.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the jaws closed.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the reverse side to that illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the holder.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the holder.

In these views the reference character I designates a supporting base which may have any desired form but is shown as an elongated plate with openings la for screws (not shown) or other suitable fasteners. Pivoted at 2 on an end of said base is an arm 3 extending at an acute divergency to the base and terminating in a substantially semi-circular jaw 4. Preferably said arm is substantially horizontal with its jaw 4 opening upwardly. At the juncture of the jaw 4 with the arm 3 is pivoted at 5 a companion jaw 6, connected by a downwardly extending swinging link 7 to the end of the base I opposite to that mounting the arm 3. A light spring 8 preferably of a safety pin type is mounted on a pin 9 pivoting the link 1 to the base, and reacts between the base and link to urge the latter toward the pivot of jaw 6. This establishes a toggle coaction between the jaws, whereby they tend to close or open, responsive to the spring 8, according as the pivot 5 is shifted below or above the dead center line established by upper pivot ID of the link and the pivot 2 of the arm 3. The arm 3 is laterally formed with a shoulder ll formed by a recess of said arm accommodating the jaw 6 and engageable by an edge of the jaw 6 for limiting opening travel of such jaw. Thus the jaws open no further than necessary to readily admit a cigarette.

Normally the jaws occupy their open position (Fig. 1), and when a cigarette is introduced between the jaws and pressed lightly against the arm 3, the latter is swung down until the pivot 5 is shifted below the line established by the pivots 2 and 10. The jaws then snap to closed position, holding the cigarette sufiiciently tight, that it cannot escape due to vibration or any light contact. Release of the cigarette is effected by simply raising same slightly thus applying pressure to the jaw 6 sufiicient to shift the pivot 5 upwardly across the dead center line aforementioned, whereupon the jaws assume their fully opened position shown in Fig. 1.

The device is useful under any conditions in which a smoker desires to be temporarily relieved of a cigarette, with assurance that it will be firmly held until he is again ready to use it. Such a device may be advantageously installed in a motor vehicle or on an ash tray. Primary advantage of the device is its ease of manipulation, mere pressure of the cigarette serving to establish either limiting position of the jaws.

While the triangular relation between the pivots 2, 5 and 9 is essential and it is desirable that the link I occupy at least an approximately transverse relation to the arm 3, the base may widely vary from the form illustrated and may if desired be a part of some other structure as for example a vehicle dash.

What I claim is:

1. A gripping device comprising an elongated arm, a jaw formed on one end of such arm, a pivot mounting the other end of the arm, a companion jaw pivoted on the arm, and a spring exerting pressure on said companion jaw in both the closed and open positions of said jaws at a point approximately between the pivots of such companion jaw and arm, there being a toggle relation between the arm and companion jaw, entaiiing travel of said point across the line established by said pivots, said spring acting by virtue of such relation to resist both opening and closing travel of the jaws, and said spring being positioned at one side only of said line.

2. A gripping device as set forth in claim 1, said arm being laterally formed with a recess receiving the companion jaw, and such recess forming a shoulder limiting opening travel of the companion jaw.

3. A gripping device comprising a support, an arm pivoted at one of its ends on said support.

3 a jaw formed on the other end of said am. a companion jaw pivoted on said arm in proximity to the first-mentioned jaw, a swinging link pivoted at one of its ends on said support in a fixedspace relation to the pivotal end of said arm, the other end of said link being pivoted to said companion jaw at a point approximately between the pivotal connections of said arm and said companion jaw in both the closed and open p0- sltions of said jaws, there being a toggle relation between the arm and companion jaw entailing travel of said point across the line established by the pivotal connections of said arm and said companion jaw, and a spring reacting between the support and link effective by virtue of said toggle relation to resist both opening and closing travel of the jaws. I

RICHARD L. BLACKWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 389,396 Legates Sept. 11, 1888 503,176 Stanton Aug. 15, 1893 516,249 Weaver Mar. 13, 1894 806,685 Lockhart Dec. 5, 1905 1,110,213 Kratochwill Sept. 8, 1914 1,421,065 Callan June 27, 1922 1,457,648 Bailey June 5, 1923 1,745,292 Buser Jan. 28, 1930 1,904,903 Sweet Apr. 18, 1933 2,241,308 Koivu May 6, 1941 

